ONE META ENDS, A NEW ONE BEGINS! BOOMSDAY IS UPON US!

Hearthstone’s latest expansion: The Boomsday Project will release on Tuesday, August 7th. All the cards have been spoiled, and the deckbuilding has begun! Didn’t have time to keep up with the whirlwind of new cards coming at you the last few weeks? Well you’re in luck. We’re going to go over some of the most interesting and powerful cards of the set. Cards are rated on a simple scale of 1 to 10. Keep in mind, these ratings are going to be for Standard play. The playability of these cards can change for arena and wild! With that said, let’s move forward to the class that many people have been dreading since card spoilers started: Druid.

Flobbidinous Floop

What a mouthful. Regardless of how hard the name is to say, you’ll get plenty of practice. Read this card carefully, the effect of copying the last minion you play doesn’t go away at end of turn. So, if you play a Hydronox or Malygos and it gets Hexed, you will be able to follow it up with a tiny, more convenient version the following turn. This card will see play in at least some Druid lists. Being able to play a 4 mana Lich King, Ysera, or Hydronox is very powerful. Although you don’t get the stats that come with the first card you play, a 4 mana Hydronox that’s easier to kill seems attractive for many druids. Malygos is already a strong contender and it will gain plenty of power and consistency with the release of Flobbidinous Floop.

Rating: 10/10

Dreampetal Florist

There has been plenty of discussion on this card. Most will agree it is strong, but a 7 mana 4/4 is a very slow play and hard to justify for many decks that rely on board presence. Reducing the cost of a minion by 7 is a monstrous effect. A 1 mana Lich King is no joke. With plenty of ramp tools available, Dreampetal Florist will likely see play in at least one of the many viable Druid lists that rely on Wild Growth and Nourish.

Rating: 8.5/10

Floop’s Glorious Gloop

Finally, the Druid legendary spell we’ve been waiting for! Without much surprise, Floop’s Glorious Gloop will be generating mana. A unique effect, adding one mana for every minion that dies this turn, can easily lead to 4-6 mana with a Swipe and a minion able to attack. Get ready for tremendous board flipping scenarios with this card. It does have limitations and seems much stronger against aggro decks than other control lineups.

Rating: 8.5/10

Druid has been a strong contender on ladder and in the tournament scene for most of this meta. With several different win conditions, all competitive Druid builds rely on one thing: Ramp. They gained some more mana cheat this expansion, but they also received a few tools to really help the consistency of the deck with Flobbidinous Floop and Dreampetal Florist. Druid has been a top contender on Ladder for a long time now, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. Next, let’s look at what tools Shaman will get.

Electra Stormsurge

The potential of this card is intense, as is the versatility. Copying a spell is a very powerful effect, especially for only 3 mana, AND you get a body. As a 3 mana 3/3, it is a solid body for it’s cost. It’s an elemental, which is a relevant tribe for Shaman. You can also get up to 7 mana of spell effect for free along with this card! Electra Stormsurge and Lightning Storm is 6 mana to deal 4-6 damage to all enemy minions. Or, Volcano to deal 30 DAMAGE to the board. Behind in Health? Healing rain for 24! This card will be strong in any shaman list that rely on board clears, although I can see it’s usefulness going far beyond that.

Rating: 10/10

Storm Chaser / The Storm Bringer

Ever have trouble drawing those pesky volcanoes? We have a solution for you! As a 4 mana 3/4, the stats are decent. Being able to tutor up a specific card is always very powerful, and frankly there aren’t that many strong shaman spells that cost a lot of mana.

If I mention Storm Chaser, I feel obligated to mention the new Legendary spell for Shaman, The Storm Bringer. It’s a new legendary spell for Shaman that transforms all your minions into Legendaries. This is a powerful effect, but unlike evolve it costs 7 mana, and often your entire turn. You also need to have a board of at least 4 minions to make this worthwhile. There are a lot of cheap or small legendary minions in Standard currently. This will not be a board of Tyrantus every time you play it (but I’d love to see it when it happens). If an evolve strategy shaman is viable again, this card will see some play. Otherwise I don’t see much potential in it.

Two other potential targets for Storm Chaser are Volcano and Bloodlust. Volcano is currently seeing heavy play in Shudderwock shaman, and I can see this card finding a place in other Control Shaman builds as well. A decent body and being able to tutor and play board clear on the same turn make this card a flexible tool.

Rating: Storm Chaser – 8/10 The Storm Bringer – 6/10

Elementary Reaction

This is the least flashy card for Shaman this expansion, but don’t overlook it, this card has a lot of value to talk about. This card may make elemental shaman come back to Standard play. Assuming you played an elemental, 2 mana to draw two cards is a very powerful effect, considering Arcane Intellect has been a strong staple in most mage lists and costs 3. This will give elemental lists the gas they need to stay in the game.

Rating: 8/10

Shaman has been in an odd position for this meta. They have been a dark horse on the standard ladder since Witchwood was released, with Shudderwock only recently gaining steam with the rise of slow decks like Big Druid. Shudderwock gained a strong tool in Electra Stormsurge. Elemental may return with some of the new cards, but I predict Shudderwock to still be the frontrunner for Shaman for the next few months. Now onto our next class, Hunter.

Venomizer

A 2 mana 2/2 with poisonous is a strong card that can find its way into Hunter lists that focus on an aggressive route. I do not know how relevant the Magnetic ability will be in this meta, but poisonous is one of the strongest abilities to give a minion if you’re fighting for board advantage. Strong card, and amazing in arena. Its Standard potential is probably above average.

Rating: 7/10

Bomb Toss

Bomb Toss is a simple but strong card for Hunter. 2 mana deal 2 damage is average, however getting a 0/2 minion that deals another 2 damage has potential. It is worth mentioning that this card can go face, meaning this could end up being 4 damage to your opponent for only 2 mana, which is high value. This card will require some playtesting; however, I think it has potential to be a strong card in a more aggressive traditional hunter list.

Rating: 5/10

Boommaster Flark

Bombs, bombs, and more bombs. Sensing a theme for Hunter. Summoning 4 bombs that can deal 2 damage is nice, but the trick is being able to kill off those bombs to get the damage! Unlike bomb toss, Boommaster Flark is understatted for its cost. I don’t believe it will see a ton of play, with slower decks looking closer to the route of the current Cube and Play Dead lists. It’s a lot of damage though, if Hunter gets an efficient way to clear their own board it could be a viable strategy.

Rating: 5/10

Hunter has found itself a strong position on the current ladder with Deathrattle Hunter. The theme for hunter in Boomsday Project is far different though, with delayed direct damage to your opponent. This doesn’t seem to be a very reliable strategy for Hunter, and I think we will be seeing more of Hunter’s old tricks in the coming Boomsday meta. Next on our list is Mage.

Luna’s Pocket Galaxy

Druid isn’t the only class getting mana cheat this expansion. Mage’s new legendary spell is a big push for a minion heavy mage list. Since the spell doesn’t affect cards in your hand, it’ll be an inconsistent tool in triggering any sort of combo. I would love to see an elemental mage list start to be somewhat competitive, but I don’t think this card fits there either. 7 mana with no effect the turn it’s played is probably too slow for any deck to reasonably run. I don’t plan on seeing this card too much in Standard play.

Rating: 2/10

Astromancer

If this card effect sounds familiar, it isn’t déjà vu. Astromancer has a strong resemblance to another powerful epic card, Spiteful Summoner. I like the design of this card far more, however. For starters, it’s much less random. When you play this card, you know what random mana cost minion you will get. If this card sees play it’ll likely be in control mage builds that are able to sit on a larger hand size into the mid-late game.

Rating: 8/10

Stargazer Luna

The Mage legendary is another tool for Mage to go a tempo route. 3 mana 2/4 are strong stats, and it presents a lot of potential card advantage. Luna may require inefficient plays to be able to benefit from the effect, making it somewhat unreliable. It gives mage a way to threaten card advantage while advancing their board, so it has potential to see play if only to force your opponent to deal with it with removal.

Rating: 7/10

Mage has been in the middle of the pack in ladder and tournament play for awhile now. The cards they are getting from Boomsday Project are interesting but the only one I see getting significant competitive play is Astromancer, since Control Mage already has a very solid shell with cards like Flamestrike and Frost Lich Jaina. I was a fan of Spiteful Summoner, so I hope this card gets some play as well. The next class we are going to look at is Rogue.

Myra’s Unstable Element

THIS card needs to be addressed. What an effect. 5 mana draw your entire deck is one of the strongest effects I’ve seen in a card game. Sure, there are obviously limitations (hand size for starters), but most miracle or late game rogue lists draw their entire deck during a match. It may take awhile for a deck to be designed that really utilizes the full potential of this card, but it will 100% see play in standard eventually. This is the combo rogue of the future.

Rating: 9/10

Lab Recruiter

When I first saw this card, I thought the effect was a combo effect and STILL thought it would see play. Lab Recruiter took gang up and made it as aggressively costed as possible. A 3/2 body is on par for 2 mana by itself. This make the gang up effect free. At this point in standard, I’m not quite sure what they would want to shuffle, but it could just be strong enough as a value generator that fights fatigue as well.

Rating: 8/10

Myra Rotspring

Deathrattle returns as a strong theme for Rogue. However, this card seems mediocre. It may have more potential in Wild with Jades like Aya Blackpaw, but in Standard it doesn’t have many targets. I’m underwhelmed by the stats and effect of Myra Rotspring, I don’t plan to see her much on the ladder.

Rating: 2/10

Rogue continues to be a strong presence on ladder in the form of Odd Rogue, Miracle Rogue, and Quest Rogue. Myra’s Unstable Element will eventually find a slot in some Rogue decks, although it may take a while to find the best fit. Lab recruiter is a very strong card, but it struggles to find a purpose in the current meta. It may find space in Quest Rogue, but I think the effect is too slow. Our next class is Priest.

Reckless Experimenter

This is the most exciting card for Priest this coming expansion. If Quest Priest ever had the potential to be a strong deck archetype, now is the time. A 5 mana 4/6 is a reasonable body. Since this effect makes minions die at end of turn, this seems best paired with cheap, value-oriented deathrattle minions like Loot Hoarder. This would also be amazing with Carnivorous Cube generating tons of value at end of turn for only 2 mana. Although this card is strong, it’s playability hinges on if Priest can have a strong deathrattle archetype in the coming expansion. If it does, this will be a staple.

Rating: 7/10

Zerek’s Cloning Gallery

An interesting effect. It’s extremely expensive at 9 mana, and you only get 7/7 worth of stats. Although this effect is slow, this could be abused with the Quest Priest as a way to trigger the Quest with 1 card. It’s too inconsistent for a combo focused strategy since it isn’t effective once you draw a combo piece. I doubt this card will see competitive play, but many players will spend hours finding a way to abuse this new Legendary Spell.

Rating: 6/10

Omega Medic

One of the new Omega cards this expansion, its battle cry only triggers if you have 10 Mana Crystals. I like that this card can tempo out on turn 3 against aggressive lineups and can be played later as a strong heal and tempo play. Omega Medic won’t disrupt the meta by any means, but it’s a solid card and I expect it to be represented by Control Priest at some point, potentially after further expansions.

Rating: 6/10

Priest is currently unpopular on ladder but has a healthy representation in tournament play. The main competitive deck is Control Priest with Mind Blast and Shadowreaper Anduin. Quest Priest may return with cards like Reckless Experimenter offering more value plays. I’ve missed playing Value Priest, hopefully this represents a return to it. Next on our list is Warlock.

The Soularium

This card is one of the most powerful of the set hands down. Drawing 3 cards for one mana, regardless of the condition, is insane. The downside of discarding the cards only matters if you don’t play all 3 cards you drew in the first place! Aggressive warlock lists like the current Heal Zoo have plenty of opportunities to abuse this effect, drawing 3 cards late game then immediately dumping them all on the board. Expect to see this card a lot on ladder after release. The only reason I am not giving this a 10 is simply because I don’t believe it will be played by ALL warlock builds and it can’t be played in Even Warlock, one of the more popular Warlock lists now.

Rating: 9.5/10

Dr. Morrigan

Unfortunately, the creature legendary for Warlock leaves a lot to be desired compared to The Soularium. An 8 mana 5/5 is incredibly slow, and with only a Deathrattle that relies on a random effect I don’t see it getting much play. It’s technically strong in Fatigue since it shuffles into your deck instead of dying. However, if Fatigue is a concern then Rin, the First Disciple seems like a much more reliable win condition. We won’t be seeing much of the Doctor this set, but it’s an interesting effect nonetheless.

Rating: 2/10

Doubling Imp

Although it’s not a flashy card, Doubling Imp is an interesting tool for Zoo builds. Offering 4/4 in stats for 3 mana is very strong and it has no downside, aside from being split into two bodies. I expect this may see play if a traditional zoo list becomes available. The current heal zoo would have a hard time wedging this into the list. The cheaper zoo minions are simply better and the costlier minions often trigger healing for Happy Ghoul. It has potential with cards like Soul Infusion, if they see play. It’s a solid card and may see more play during a later set.

Rating: 7/10

Warlock is once again a strong contender on ladder. With Even, Zoo, and Cube warlocks having representation in the meta, it continues to show the power behind having a consistent tool to gain card advantage as their Hero Power. Zoo is gaining a lot more tools than other builds from the Boomsday Project, with The Soularium. I expect to see a lot more zoo at the beginning of the set release compared to even warlock, but it will even out slowly over time. Next up is Warrior.

Dr. Boom, Mad Genius

Here is the man himself, star of the Boomsday Project. Dr. Boom is this expansion’s new hero card, this time for warrior. A 7-mana card that gains 7 armor (paying homage to the original Dr. Boom), it also gives your mechs Rush for the rest of the game. Obviously, this requires mechs to be a reliable strategy for warrior. If this is the case, Dr. Boom seems tremendously powerful. Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of Dr. Boom’s new Hero card is that the hero power changes each turn. These effects alternate between the following:

Summon 3 1/1 Microbots

Deal 3 damage

Gain 7 armor

Deal 1 damage to ALL minions

Discover a mech

All these hero powers are strong value wise, but they are unreliable since you never know what you’ll have each turn. However, warrior generally relies on simply out valuing and grinding out their opponent, which this card is perfect for. If mech warrior sees play, this card will be a staple.

Rating: 8/10

Eternium Rover

Eternum Rover is one of the cards coming in the new expansion that is trying to push warrior towards mech synergy, Eternium Rover is a solid value card for mid-range and late game strategies. 1 mana 1/3 is about the best it gets for minion stats, and it is difficult to deal with efficiently without giving your opponent a substantial amount of armor. Even if mechs are not the way to go, this card will see play in most warrior lists aside from maybe Quest warrior. It is such a strong card against aggressive strategies that I don’t question it will see play in the coming weeks.

Rating: 9/10

Omega Assembly

Another one of the new Omega cards, Omega Assembly offers an early game discover mechanic or an amazing late game value generation tool. Although you cannot control what minions you get, and it will be just 3 random mechs, 1 mana for that effect is well worth the cost. I expect to see this card in most warrior lists for the sheer value of the card, aside from possibly Quest Warrior.

Rating: 8.5/10

Warrior has been in a pretty rough spot this expansion. Besides quest warrior, no warrior list has gained real traction in the meta. Mechs offer a creature focused deck to warrior along with the new hero card, and hopefully that’s enough tools to see the class rise back to playable status. Now for the last class to review, Paladin.

Crystalsmith Kangor

Paladin’s new legendary minion comes as an efficiently costed healing tool. Alone, it is a 2 mana 1/2 with divine shield and effectively double lifesteal. This brings in the possibility of control paladin returning to the game. However, paladin has fewer healing tools than priest, and I question how much it can actually be used. It also has no real place in current paladin lists being played, with odd paladin being by far the most popular choice. As an effect, it’s very powerful. With more tools it will likely see play.

Rating: 5/10

Glow-Tron

Not an exciting card, but an incredibly efficient one. Another 1 mana 1/3 with a relevant tribe and magnetic, Glow-Tron will see plenty of play. It may simply get played in Odd Paladin as another aggressively costed minion, or if mechs take off it could be a strong tool there as well. Expect to see a lot of this card if you run into paladin on the ladder.

Rating 8.5/10

Kangor’s Endless Army

The legendary spell for paladin is incredibly powerful and incredibly difficult to judge in value. On the surface, it appears super powerful. You return 3 minions to the board, and if they utilized the magnetic effect, that stays as well. However, there are some downsides. For starters, the 3 minions are random, so a mid-range list that is minion focused would have some inconsistencies with the effect. Paired with the new Mech, Zilliax, it has potential. I’m curious how people decide to build around this card, and although its effect is strong I must bring down it’s rating since there is no place for it currently in our meta.

Rating: 8/10

Paladin has consistently been a strong contender on the ladder, primarily through presenting the best aggressive threats. Whether it was 4-mana Call to Arms, or the current threat of Odd Paladin’s hero power, winning with board pressure is its focus. I think Odd Paladin will stay the current choice for most Paladin lists in the coming month. However, Paladin has a wide range of strategies available now, and I’m excited to see what deck builders come up with to bring a fresh flavor the Paladin. To finish off this review, we will look at some neutral cards.

Mecharoo

A neutral Possessed Villager is an exciting addition to the meta for aggro players. It’s not a flashy card by any means, but it’s solid value. With all of the 1/3 bodies in the coming set the effectiveness of this card may diminish. Mecharoo will hopefully be better positioned once Firefly is out of the meta.

Rating: 7/10

Crystallizer

Another 1 mana 1/3, the power creep that Crystallizer emphasizes for neutral one mana minions is very noticeable. At first glance this battlecry seems awkward, as it effectively trades life for armor. However, you can always heal back up, and armor stacks on top of Armor, so it is a slight improvement. This will also be a useful tool to trigger warlock spellstones and other effects that trigger when you take damage. An interesting card, but I don’t see a place for it currently in the meta.

Rating: 7/10

Zilliax

What kind of set review wouldn’t cover the neutral legendary? Zilliax is a very powerful card, but only when paired with another minion. This card needs to utilize Magnetic to really shine. It’s worth noting that this is also a great card to pair with Corpsetaker, but since it isn’t a mech, it doesn’t work well with Zilliax. It’s a fun card, and although it will see some play I don’t think it will disrupt the format.

Rating: 7/10

That’s all for this set summary! The release of the new set is coming in just a few days and I can’t wait to start crafting some new decks. What cards are you most excited about? Who do you think will be the star of the Boomsday Meta? Will it be mechs? Or will the current kings of the meta hold their crown? Let’s us know in the comments.